Employee Spotlight - Allan Wishart

My background is very much in insurance and IT. In previous jobs I have had numerous roles including Project Manager, Business Analyst, Underwriter, Broker. Now I have joined RDT as an Account Manager, where my background means I understand what is going on from both the view of the client and from the view of RDT.

I have had previous dealings with RDT from the client side. I was part of the team that selected Landscape as a solution at one of our current client sites. I was really impressed with the company and with the product. When the opportunity arose to join RDT I was happy to take it.

RDT is a great place to work, it’s full of wonderful people. There is a real culture of supporting innovative thinking and people here have pride in what they do.

Innovation and regulation – how RDT helps insurers and their customers

When we describe new technology as disruptive, it’s not only because it can bring dramatic improvements and shake up an industry. It’s also because it can challenge the legal and regulatory framework, and could undermine the rules and safeguards that protect consumers and businesses.

Such is the caveat with insurtech, whose breakthrough technologies include the internet of things, cloud computing, sophisticated analytics, telematics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Collectively, allied to the power of big data, they provide new ways to identify, measure and control risks, which means we are now asking many questions about the boundary between public and private information.

Big data provides a very revealing and accurate picture for underwriters. Lawyers and regulators may contest the line between accuracy and intrusion, but there is no doubt that reliable data can protect and benefit consumers. As a data enrichment specialist, RDT is continually finding new ways to harness and process data to help insurers and their customers, and is working very closely with insurers and regulators to develop the full potential of new technology.

Getting to know you – how RDT uses data to build customer relationships

Most important attributes of customer experience compared with performance

Research from Accenture shows that 30 per cent of customers have a negative view of their insurance providers. The figure was quoted in a feature* in Raconteur’s ‘Future of Insurance’ supplement, distributed last month with The Times, and underlines the need for insurers to find out as much as possible about their customers so they can provide a more personal service. 

The feature included a table compiled by KPMG of the most important attributes of customer experience compared with performance. This revealed that insurers are well behind digital exemplars such as Amazon and Google, and must become far more adept at extracting value from the huge amount of data available to financial services providers.

Accessibility, tailoring products and polices to customer needs, and more online access were listed as priorities to improve customer experience. While cost still remains the number one reason for closing or replacing a policy, customers cite poor communication and lack of speed, from quote through to renewals and claims, as the next major bugbear. And when it comes to communication, digital is clearly the preferred channel.